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Possible Wii Phone from Nintendo

slipperybrick.com — This post talks about a possible Wii Phone in the works from Nintendo

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  • Okari, on 10/12/2007, -5/+46More than likely the number pad is there so you can input those long friend codes.
    • CrispyPassion, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9The patent specifically mentions a phone. Though I don't know why people assume it is specifically for the Wii. Seems more likely to be an independent device, perhaps with some compatibility with Nintendo's other systems.

      http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT7069044&id=GBh4AAAAEBAJ&dq=7069044&num=100
    • Guard, on 10/12/2007, -1/+18The patent is from 2000 if i'm not mistaken. Thats 6-7 years old, thus, I call *****. Someone just photoshopped a phone from the patent idea.
    • Willeth, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I've been thinking for a while that the Wiimote could make a decent VoIP phone. All that's needed is a little mic to plug into the bottom of it - it's the perfect distance from the speaker.
    • Diggtatorship, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Maybe its a cell phone with the ability to play your Virtual Console games. I'd buy it, heck I'd even switch carriers for it :)
    • dominasian, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3It seems like it would be a bitch to play games on since the controls are located so close together
      i would hate to be playing a boss and make the wrong move
      it looks more like a gameboy phone
      @guard
      although the patent was indeed filed some time ago it was only recently granted
    • doddilus, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5Don't call them a phone company?
      Don't call it a phone?

      /it's a phone
    • indigit4l, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0good point
    • Zippo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2All aboard the phone bandwagon!
    • themastersb, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Who do they think they are? Apple?
    • skyshock21, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yeah, but the patent wasn't issued until 2006, even though it was filed in 2001.
    • rlg420, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2The keypad is useless because you will be able to flick you wrist around wildly to dial a number.
    • Elranzer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The Photoshop'd mock-up already looks better than the iPhone and every Sony Ericsson out there...
  • Dren129, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2wow are they sure it's meant to be a phone?

    n/m I didn't look at the patent. It does look like a phone O.o
  • u8myfoood, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5i say its for VoIP, helping to expand mii to a greater extent
  • DragonQuester, on 10/12/2007, -2/+80*Picks up Wii phone*

    "Hello?"

    "It's-a-me! Mario!!"
  • phantom42, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4could it now be used as a phone for the wii? maybe. but something tells me that wasn't their original intention. they filed for the patent back in 2001.
  • iluvatar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4so when people compare Apple and Nintendo, they aren't kidding. Now we get to look forward to five years of speculation on a Nintendo phone before one comes to fruition.
  • Mikesnav, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7It's a photoshop... pertaining to an old patent.

    It's nothing really, patents are filed for anything and everything and often go unused.
  • diafel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5The patent has nothing at all to do with the Wii.
  • blahtastic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1GB, GBP, GBC, GBA, DS--- Now welcome the Nintendo V35116?!?!

    (or just a GBP, but thats not nearly as phone-like)
  • Rikkochet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Or it was just another prototype/concept Wiimote that they ultimately didn't go with, but patented it since they'd done the gruntwork of fleshing out the details.
  • jasegruver, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2The real question is......Why haven't we seen a phone from nintendo yet? Look at the Advance, look at the DS......What would it take to add phone capabilities to these already very capable machines. The DS already has a lot of the IPhone's technology built in. I think it is really just a natural extension of the device. Battery life is already great on the DS and Advance. With some tweaking and a spiffy new OS, we could have one hell of a phone. You would see a lot more people playing games as well. Remember that thing that Nokia put out? The "NGAGE"? But the great thing is that Nintendo already has the gaming part down to a science. All they need is the phone part.
  • Metaridley, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Somewhere, a Nokia exec is crying.
  • waltonics, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2on the actual patent illustration you can clearly see a wi-fi signal link that (yeah, okay) 'looks' like the ds one. I think nintendo would use bluetooth if it were a wii add on, this looks like a new gaming device. The patent is really about being able to 'pause' games on incoming calls using hardware registers. This would mean that nintendo could offer "any" old game on the phone as a vc type download, without having to modify the original game.
  • ShadySpace, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I love my Wii and Nintendo is really on the ball as of late but concerning this, one question needs to be asked: Why?
    • kazuhima, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1im up for it. the problem is that i already have 2 controllers. arg.
  • Baryn, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Anyone else getting a 404?
  • Tapewormz, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0I call ***** on this. I'll believe it when I see it. This is just someone's wet dream combined with a bad photoshop. I don't even believe there's a zune phone comming out. That's also *****. Bill Gates said they weren't working on a Zune phone.
  • waltonics, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0oh, and I didnt even notice this page of the patent:

    http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT7069044&id=GBh4AAAAEBAJ&pg=RA1-PA2&dq=7069044&num=100#PRA1-PA2,M1

    it shows a 'net' menu with options to purchase games for download, and maybe a couple of games that are meant to signify 'online games'. and a shot showing a screen with 'incoming call' written over the top of mario.

    not to say its coming out or anything
  • aserer511, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1will only be worth a shred of anything is partnered with skype
  • frigginchris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I'll believe it when i see an official announcement from Nintendo. buried as inaccurate.
    • jakhtar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I second your burial of this story.

      After all, this is the same cycle as the Apple fanboys constantly coming up with rumours about a supposed Apple iPho... oh.... wait a second.... never mind.
  • VeganG, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Look, I love Nintendo, but they can't even figure out online gaming, much less VOIP.
  • fishie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1isn't this from when they were in cohoots with aol and was working on voip and messenging type of things?
  • afreakinninja, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Should've been a ***** phone out of the box. It was obvious.
  • berserkiest, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Here is the report from IGN about it that says the patent is from 2001. It was most likely just some random idea someone at nintedo thought was good. Why it's making news now is because the patent office just recently recognized the patent..gotta love our quick government.

    http://wii.ign.com/articles/762/762064p1.html
  • TheTaoOfBill, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Yeah right. Nintendo won't even spring for a DVD player on the Wii. What makes you think they would make a phone for it.
  • sstephenson, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Did anyone notice they added a B button on there?
  • Agent_M, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1If this were real...

    Geek phone, much? I'd be embarrassed to pull that out in public.
  • foxmajik, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I can't imagine who this product could possibly target. If you have a Wii, it's pretty likely you already have a phone.
  • nickerbocker, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Okay, this is probably the most fake rumor attempt ever. Nintendo won't even put DVD playback into their systems. What makes people think they will make a phone/game controller?
  • Wailord, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1"Dialing 555-555-5555...
    We're sorry, your call could not be completed as dialed.
    Error code: 435766
    Friend Code not Registered"
  • SpinJared, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0this is so not real... but g-d I love my wii!
  • ellynet, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0So fake it hurts.
  • RyeBrye, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Finally, I will be able to hand a girl my Wii in public and not get arrested!
  • Hazardc, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2are apple fanboys really getting dugg down?? is this still digg.com?
    has everyone gone sane?
  • bort27, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0I hope it comes with Wiidial.
  • DelMonte, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I propose an alternate title for this story:

    Possible Stupidity From Blogger.
  • koshbaby, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If anything from Nintendo is going to be turned into a phone, it's probably going to be the DS. It's already portable, it already communicates with the Internet, it already has excellent battery life, it has a touch screen, and the list goes on and on.... all they have to do is tweak the design of the DS so that you don't look like a moron holding a giant clam to your head.
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